How To Travel By Land Bangkok To Pnom Penh To Ho Chi Min, Vietnam?

[globalsamaritan]

This is my second question.

Please share some tips on how to travel by bus from Bangkok to Cambodia then to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam?

How long will it take?

How much will it cost?

Where can we get the bus in Bangkok?

Thank you for your assistance.

[CNXSTEVE]

Lonely Planets south east asia guide book gives all this information

[TerraPosse]

There are several posts and topics on here that deal with the bus journey form BKK to PP via Poipet. I only recently (a few weeks ago) posted info on one of those. Do a search here on TV.

Traveltime BKK-PP: a day (a long one) 5am - 6pm

Costs depend on how well you can stay clear of the touts and not get charged silly amounts. For me: 200 THB to the border and then 8u$ from Poipet to PP.

To go from PP to HCM by bus you can buy a bus ticket from one of the many agents around Boeng Kak (the Backpackers area in PP) where they are the cheapest. Or directly from the bus operators on the West-side of Psar Thmei (the big yellow central market). That is also where the buses will be leaving from.

Good luck.

[dddave]

The best two websites for this info are www.talesofasia.com & www.travelfish.org

The bus trip from Bangkok is made unpleasant by the plethora of scams run on the passengers along the way: food, visas, ect. Often times, the "buses" turn out to be an endless succession of vans.

No matter what travel agent you buy from, the land route to Cambodia is controlled by just a few companies and non of them are good.

You can do it yourself by taking a government bus to TRAD, then a van to HAD LEK where you cross into Cambodia. From the border, a moto taxi across the bridge to Koh Kong and get the bus from there to Phnom Penh. It will take you a full day.

Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City is easy. Comfortable, A/C buses ($12-$15) leave daily from the Central Market, about a six hour trip. They drop you off in PHAM GNU LAO, sort of a mini Koh Sarn Rd area. You can also take a bus that goes to the delta towns first, then on to HCMC; a much longer but very scenic route.

Be aware that you need a visa ($35) in advance for Vietnam. You can get it in Bangkok or Phnom Penh but it does take an extra day. Most hotels can arrange the bus and the visa.

[globalsamaritan]

So if we reach Poipet, we can immediately get a bus to Pnom Penh?

What time should we leave from Poipet to Pnom Penh? We want to arrive early in the evening.